Stumps and Spring Boards

Powell Lake has been logged since the beginning of the 20th Century. Massive old growth trees were cut from the slopes and the lake's water highway was used to start them on their journey to market. When the paper mill was built, a dam was constructed across the mouth of Powell River, and the lake level rose covering previously logged areas.

Now some of the old growth stumps have washed up on the new shoreline. This one has two slots cut into the trunk. They are the remnants of notches made by loggers to insert their springboards.

Springboards are narrow flat boards that create elevated platforms that allow loggers to stand higher up the trunk before cutting the tree down. They most likely used a two man cross-cut saw like the one John mounted for me (minus its handles) above our cabin's front door. -- Margy